Greatest Gift of All
by ZA Secret Santa
Summary: Written for Mya in the ZA Secret Santa Fic Exchange. Troyella.


**Greatest Gift of All**

**To: Mya**

**Love: Secret Santa**

* * *

"GABRIELLA BOLTON GET _DOWN_ FROM THAT LADDER THIS INSTANT!" Troy Bolton demanded, wrapping his arms around the waist of his wife of three years and lifting her carefully off the step ladder she had been perched on, attempting to hang tinsel from the curtain rail.

"But! What? Uh!" Gabriella exclaimed in surprise, her arms and legs flailing as she was suspended in her husband's arms, before feeling her feet land safely on the soft carpet of their living room floor.

"What am I going to do with you? I leave you alone for 5 minutes and when I come back, you're up a ladder!" Troy sighed exasperatedly, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as his eyes swept over her adorably pouty expression.

Gabriella folded her arms across her chest. "Troy, I'm ne..."

"You're 'nesting', I know," Troy cut her off. "But can you _please_ nest somewhere that doesn't involve you being three feet off the ground? Like the couch for example! That would be great," he said, manoeuvring her in the direction of the couch and pulling her down with him. "Now, can I get you anything? Hot cocoa? Milk? Juice? Water? Chocolate? Cookies?"

Gabriella laughed as she snuggled into her husband's side, Troy automatically wrapping his arms tightly around her middle. "It's ok. I'm fine. Just sit here and cuddle with me for a while."

"Are you sure, coz I can..."

"TROY! I'm pregnant, not terminal!" Gabriella exclaimed and Troy glowed red. Truth be known, Gabriella was perfectly aware that she was only 12 weeks pregnant, and the 'nesting' phase took place in the final stages of pregnancy. But Troy wasn't, and she took great delight in using the excuse of 'but I'm nesting!' combined with her puppy dog pout, to win him over.

"I'm being over-protective, aren't I?" he asked meekly.

Gabriella smiled fondly, reaching up to brush some of his hair out of his eyes. "Over-protective may even be a slight understatement, babe, but it's ok – I love you for it," she told him, proving it with a soft kiss on his jaw.

It was December 20th – just five short days before Christmas – and Troy and Gabriella were only just getting around to finishing off their decorations. The tree had gone up on the first of the month, but before the other boxes of tinsel, garlands and fairy lights could be unpacked and hung, Gabriella had been struck with a mystery illness which had left her vomiting and bed ridden for a week.

A doctor's visit and some blood tests had identified the 'mystery illness' as pregnancy. Gabriella and Troy were surprised, but absolutely delighted about their early Christmas present. Gabriella was still suffering from mild bouts of morning sickness, but apart from that she was feeling great, and Troy – well, his head was still floating blissfully in the clouds and he had had a permanent grin on his face ever since they had received the news.

Gabriella sighed contentedly as she felt Troy kiss the top of her head softly, his hand absently brushing over her abdomen.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" she murmured. "This time next year we'll have a little person to spoil rotten."

Troy smiled into her soft curls. "I can't wait," he replied. "When I stopped at Wal-Mart yesterday they had the most adorable little baby suits – all in Christmas colours with things like 'Baby's First Christmas' and 'Santa's Little Helper' on them. I just wanted to buy them all!"

Gabriella smiled at his enthusiasm, tracing his jaw with her finger. "You're going to be such a wonderful father," she whispered.

Troy smiled, dipping his head to brush his lips gently across her forehead. "Well you're going to be the world's greatest mommy," he told her sincerely.

Gabriella shivered slightly as he began to comb his fingers through her long hair. "When we first met – way back at that ski lodge – did you ever imagine us here, now...married...a baby on the way?"

Troy kissed her forehead again. "Yep," he replied teasingly. "As soon as I heard you sing I thought 'this girl will have my babies one day.'"

"Tro-oy," Gabriella giggled, slapping his arm lightly, causing him to laugh.

"I might not have been able to predict our future, but I sure as hell wouldn't change how it turned out," he told her, falling serious. "Here with you, and our little peanut," his hand fell to her stomach again, his thumb tracing soft circles, "I wouldn't swap it for the world."

Gabriella smiled up at him. "I love you – so much. You know that, right?"

Troy nodded, sliding two fingers under her chin and tilting her face till their lips met. He kissed her softly at first, nudging her lips gently with his tongue until she parted them, allowing him to slide his tongue inside, exploring the depths of the mouth he knew so well, yet would never tire of.

Gabriella reached her hand up to cup the side of his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb as he kissed her deeper. After a moment she began to giggle, pulling back from the kiss, but leaving her hand resting against his cheek.

"You know, all this talk of babies has made me hungry," she said cheekily. "Do we still have some of those sugar cookies left from yesterday?"

"Mmhmm," Troy replied, peppering her jaw and neck with feather soft kisses.

"Would you be a darling and go grab some for me?" she asked sweetly.

"Okaaaay," Troy drew out, reluctantly removing his lips from her neck. "But only because I love you so much," he told her, giving her one last peck on the lips before lifting himself from the sofa and disappearing into the kitchen.

As soon as he was out of site Gabriella giggled to herself, quietly standing and tip toeing in the direction of the step ladder. She hadn't even gotten her second foot on the bottom step when she heard her husband's voice float through from the kitchen.

"...And don't even _think_ about going near that ladder!"

**HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM  
**

By December 23rd, Gabriella was beginning to panic. When she and Troy had first learnt of her pregnancy, they had decided that – seeing as it was so close to Christmas – they would keep the news to themselves for a little while, and tell their parents at Christmas.

But now here it was: Christmas Eve and they had yet to decide on the perfect way to announce the surprise.

"We could wrap diapers in with all of their gifts?" Troy suggested. "Give them 'Merry Christmas, Grandma and Grandpa' cards? Sing '_You've got a grandchild on the wa-ay, fa la la la laa, la laa laa laaaa_'? Hang a banner from the roof? Have it announced in sky writing? A personalised congratulations text from the President of the United States?"

Gabriella glared at him. "Now you're just being ridiculous."

Troy sighed. "Babe, I'm all out of ideas. We've been going around in circles for days. I'm about ready to stick copies of the sonogram from Monday in a Christmas card for your Mom and one for my parents, and be done with it."

Gabriella fell silent for a moment before letting out a soft gasp, her eyes widening as she grabbed a startled Troy by the face and kissed him square on the lips.

"Baby, you're a genius!"

**HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM**

"Merry Christmas, honey!" Maria Montez greeted her only child with a warm hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"Merry Christmas, Mom," Gabriella hugged her mother back, squeezing her eyes shut as she absorbed her mother's love.

"Maria!" Lucille Bolton exclaimed brightly, emerging from Troy and Gabriella's kitchen with her arms extended, wrapping Maria in a hug once she reached her. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Lucy! You too Jack!" Maria replied with a smile, hugging both of her daughter's in-laws.

"Hey, what about me?!" Troy pretended to be offended as he stood behind Gabriella, his arms folded around her shoulders and across her chest.

Maria laughed. "Oh I'm terribly sorry, come here you!"

Troy moved from behind his wife, enfolding his mother in law in a hug so tight that her feet left the ground and she let out a shriek. Gabriella laughed.

"Troy, put my mother down and go and check on the potatoes for me," she giggled, slapping him on the butt as he saluted and marched into the kitchen. "Mom, Lucy, Jack – would you like a coffee or tea?" she asked as they followed her through to the living room.

Maria and Jack shook their heads and Lucille wrapped an arm around Gabriella, sitting her down on the couch with her. "No, no, no – you just relax, sweetheart! So tell me, did you like your gift from Troy?"

Gabriella's face split into a wide smile. "I _knew_ he'd had help picking it!" she laughed, holding out her hand for her own mother to admire the delicate white gold bracelet that shimmered there.

Lucille laughed. "Well, I'd like to take the credit but – amazingly – I seem to have raised a son with great taste in women's jewellery. He didn't need my help at all in the end!"

"Thank you, mother," Troy commented as he returned to the room. "But I'm not sure it's women's jewellery I have great taste in...I think it has more to do with the fact that I know my wife better than I know myself," he said with a lopsided grin at Gabriella, lifting her from the couch and taking her spot, settling her in his lap once he was comfortable. "So – time for more presents?"

Jack let out a snort. "Some things never change," he laughed as Gabriella crawled off Troy's lap and moved to sit next to the Christmas tree.

"I call playing Santa!" she exclaimed almost giddily, both families chuckling at her enthusiasm. "Ok, first one is..." she picked up the closest gift, "to Troy, love Mom and Dad," she smiled, passing the large box to her husband.

For the next twenty minutes, gifts were exchanged between family members, the recipients' _ooh-_ing and _aah-_ing over each item they received. Finally, nothing remained under the tree besides two plain white envelopes which were perched amongst the lower branches.

Gabriella and Troy exchanged a glance, Gabriella giving a small smile and a nod before Troy cleared his throat.

"Ella and I have one more present for the three of you," he announced, as Gabriella reached behind her to pluck the envelopes from the tree, passing Lucille and Jack's to Troy, and standing up off the floor clutching Maria's.

The parent's accepted their envelopes with almost identical puzzled expressions splashed across their faces.

"But Gabi, Troy – you've already given us so..."

"Uh uh," Troy cut his mother off with a grin. "Just open it," he instructed, moving to stand behind Gabriella and wrapping his arms around her, resting his chin on top of her head and feeling her quiver of anticipation and excitement as Maria and Lucille and Jack pulled matching Christmas cards from their envelopes and opened them, identical squares of paper falling from both.

A collective gasp could be heard throughout the room as three sets of eyes absorbed the grainy black and white image held in their shaking hands, before scanning the words written inside the cards, in Gabriella's neat penmanship.

_**Merry Christmas!**_

_**Love always,**_

_**Troy, Gabriella and Baby Bolton**_

_**xox**_

"_WHAT?!" _three voices screamed in excitement.

"Oh my baby!" Maria exclaimed, springing from the couch and wrapping her only daughter in a hug, the two of them simultaneously bursting into tears as they jumped up and down excitedly.

"Can anyone join?" Lucille asked with a grin that stretched from ear to ear as she joined in the crying, hugging and jumping up and down. "Congratulations sweetheart! Oh my god, this is the most amazing news ever!"

Jack stood to the side of the girls beaming proudly, a hint of a tear in his eye. "Grandpa..." he said to himself, as if testing the name out. "Grandpa!"

"Uh, hello? Guys? I did play a _small_ role in this too!" Troy cleared his throat and announced in the direction of the crying/hugging/jumping bunch.

"Oh Troy! My baby boy is going to be a Daddy!" Lucille gushed, turning her attention to him and hugging him till he was wheezing for breath. "I'm so, so proud of you sweetheart," she said, full of happy tears, reaching up to pat his cheek as Jack and Gabriella hugged behind them.

"Congratulations Troy, this is just...I can't even...you two have just made me so incredibly happy," Maria fanned her face with her hands, trying to calm herself down.

Troy grinned cheekily at Gabriella. "I think our mother's are trying to out-do each other in the emotional stakes," he joked.

"Congratulations, son," Jack grinned, clapping Troy on the back after prising him out of Lucille's clutches. "That's just...that's just..." he trailed off, lost for words.

"Aww, Dad – don't tell me you've finally succumbed to your inner softie in your old age?!" Troy teased.

"Hey! I'll have you kn..." Troy was saved by the bell – literally – as the oven timer pinged in the kitchen.

Within minutes, the Bolton/Montez family was seated around the table, plates piled high with delicious smelling food, and glasses filled – with juice for Gabriella, and also for Troy who insisted if she couldn't drink, he wouldn't either.

Troy cleared his throat. "A toast! To family, to laughter, to love," he paused to press a kiss against Gabriella's temple, "to good health, good times, and to a very merry Christmas!"

"And to Troy and Gabriella, for giving us the best Christmas present we could ever have asked for!" Lucille added. "To Baby Bolton!

"To Baby Bolton!" Maria and Jack agreed as they all chinked their glasses, the atmosphere in the room positively twinkling with a glow that only that special type of excitement and joy can bring, everyone's happiness hanging in the air as they began their Christmas meal.

**HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM**

It was almost 1am by the time Troy and Gabriella were getting ready for bed. Troy stripped down to his boxer shorts before turning around, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he watched his wife standing in front of their full length mirror. She turned to the left, then to the right, touching her ever-so-slightly-rounded stomach, smoothing her hands over it gently. She turned back to face the mirror front on, tilting her head, studying her reflection carefully.

She didn't even notice a second reflection join hers, and jumped slightly as Troy snaked his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder as his hands clasped right over her belly button.

"You're so amazingly beautiful," he murmured, his eyes meeting hers in her reflection. "And the fact that our child is right beneath my hands just makes you even more gorgeous."

Gabriella shivered slightly as his hands ghosted across her abdomen. She turned in his arms, leaning up to press a lingering kiss against his lips. As she made to pull back, Troy moved his hand to the back of her head, holding her against his lips as he deepened the kiss.

Gabriella was so caught up in a haze of delirious fog induced by Troy's lips that she didn't even notice him moving her backwards until her legs hit the edge of their bed and the pair fell down onto the mattress together, their kisses graduating from slow and probing to desperate and passionate.

"You know, our spontaneity was what got me in this situation in the first place," Gabriella commented with a giggle, pulling back from their kiss just as Troy's hands found their way up her pyjama top.

"Just think of it as getting in some practice for when we're ready to make baby number two," Troy grinned, pulling the top over her head and kissing his way down her neck.

"Baby number two, huh?" Gabriella's eyes sparkled.

"Mmhmm," Troy mumbled, his kisses moving across her collar bone. "And three...four if you so desire."

"Well, I guess we do need...ooh...a fair bit of...oooh...practice then, don't we? Ooooh," she moaned as Troy bit gently down on the flesh right above her racing pulse.

"Exactly," Troy agreed, his hands moving towards her pyjama bottoms. "Now - enough talking, you."

Gabriella giggled again. "Can I say one more thing?" she asked.

"If it's a quick thing," Troy teased, Gabriella able to feel his rapid pulse above her.

She snaked one hand being his head, pulling his lips to hers and kissing him soundly before pulling back but only enough so that she could speak – still so close that her lips feathered against his as her words left her mouth.

"Merry Christmas, Troy."

Troy smiled, nudging her nose with his before he replied.

"Merry Christmas, Ella."


End file.
